2017 PROJECT 52, Second Quarter by Janis (purplehaze)

[purplehaze]

Thanks, Joe.

[leprechaun]

Nice set Janis, I really like No.3
I wonder how many members of CiC call Manitoba home?
Pat

[purplehaze]

Thanks, Pat. I think I have counted three or four of us, anyway.

[purplehaze]

Week 19

I have nothing to show for week 18 except for the processing I did on images in other threads. Week 19 is different matter, however, as I filled an entire card and then some shooting birds at Oak Hammock Marsh, a wildlife management area north of Winnipeg. I used my 70-200 mm f/4 Nikkor and 1.4 teleconverter. I am of course now lusting for a longer lens.

As I work my way through the captures, I am learning more about Capture One and how to use it. I have been playing a lot, and hope you will forgive me any lack of consistency in colour. This is a taste of what I have processed thus far:

#1 Tree Swallows


f/9, 1/150, 200 ISO, 200 mm

#2 American Coot


f/5.6, 1/1000, 360 ISO, 250 mm

#3 Canada Geese


f/5.6, 1/500, 800 ISO, 100 mm

#4


f/7.1, 1/400, 100 ISO, 270 mm

#5 Yellow-headed Blackbird


f/5.6, 1/1250, ISO 400, 280 mm

#6 Lesser Yellowlegs?


f/5.6, 1/1000, 140 ISO, 280 mm

C&C welcome

[skitterbug]

Hi Janis ~ I like your work! #1, #3 and #6 are my favorites out of a good series of photos. #1 has a twinkle in the tree swallow's eye while he welcomes you! #3 shows babies! And how cute they are! #6 catches life sharply in motion! Yep, all good in my estimation!

[Wavelength]

Very very impressive set of bird images......really liked them all

[bnnrcn]

Hi Janis . #5 looks great , very nice BG and bokeh, good composition and a beautiful bird . I would clean the dots/spots all over the image in #6. A tighter crop of #4 might look better as the birds are nearly lost in the composition.The babies look so lovely in #3 that I would try cropping the image to leave only one big bird and the babies. #2 looks nice .

[Geoff F]

Good results from tricky scenes.

Pity about the light spots in #5 although I wonder about cropping a little from the top and leaving the spots as a feature rather than attempting the arduous task of cloning them away

[joebranko]

All great shots. #5 & #6 are my favs. I like the colour of the bird in #5 and the bokeh in the bg. I like the frozen action in #6 and the composition.
+1 to Binnur's comment on #3. Focusing in tight on the hen with the babies would result in a better composition.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

[purplehaze]

Thank you all for your kind comments.

Binnur, I have cleaned up #6 as per your suggestion. The bird is softer in focus than I would have liked, but the practice using the clone tools is not wasted.



#4 was conceived as more of an environmental shot. It is in fact one of the very few images that has not been severely cropped.
I will think some more on it.

Geoff, I could not find another crop of #5 that I liked, but I did enhance the bird (learning my tools!):



Perhaps you will like this one better:

#7


f/5.6, 1/1250, 180 ISO, 280 mm

Sandy, Binnur and Joe, here's a crop of the next frame I shot of the goose family, with clarity reduced in the gravel so as to better set off the subjects:



And another one shot later in the day (sorry, I can't resist):

#8


f/5.6, 1/320, 100 ISO, 280 mm

[skitterbug]

Sandy, Binnur and Joe, here's a crop of the next frame I shot of the goose family, with clarity reduced in the gravel so as to better set off the subjects:



#8

I like the way you cropped and PP parent goose and the babies. Well done!

#8 made me chuckle because it almost seems that the goose looking back is daring you to come after them! It seems to be thinking "I've had enough of this photo shoot".

[bje07]

# 5, 6 (new) and 7 are my preferred.
Nice ones.

[bnnrcn]

Your further edits improved the images and I find them better Janis. I also like the new additions

[leprechaun]

Hi Janis,
I liked them all but No. 1 & & No.5 are my favorites. Pretty darn Sharpe for telephoto lens. Just how far were you away from the subjects and what were your settings? I have the same lens but I don't use it that much and I don't do much in the was of PP.
Its been a few years since I visited the Oak Hammock Area, I'll have to make a visit as alternative to the English Gardens at the park.
Looking forward to week 20.
Pat

[Geoff F]

The second yellow bird photo (#7) looks a lot better to me. Besides a cleaner background, I much prefer the bird pose with this one.

[purplehaze]

Thanks again, Sandy, Jean, Binnur, Pat and Geoff.

Pat, I have added my EXIF to all eight images. I am no judge of distance, but all but 4 and 8 are fairly severe crops. The extra reach is from my 1.4 teleconverter, and I am on a crop sensor (Nikon D7100). I was on shutter priority, auto ISO and had the benefit of full afternoon sun. I biased the exposure when I needed to, usually 2/3 EV, but could have gone higher in some cases.. I encourage you to get out there. There were very few people around at that time of day, as the activities are geared to early morning. I would like to get out in one of their canoes, so long as I could shoot and not have to paddle, but I don't know if that is a possibility.

[purplehaze]

Week 20

I spent a lot of hours processing this week and learning to use layers in Capture One. At one point, I got tired of masking with the mouse and decided to resume learning how to use my Wacom tablet. Found it was dead and the charging cord was gone, no doubt with the other things lifted during February's B&E. The first replacement cord did not fit (not all mini-USBs are alike!), but the second one did and I suppose that will be my focus next week. Please don't hesitate to correct or assist with the bird identification; I am brand new at this.

#1 Tree Swallow


f/10, 1/500, 200 ISO, 200 mm

#2 Least Sandpiper


f/5.6, 1/1000, 180 ISO, 280 mm

#3 Common Grackle


f/5.6, 1/2000, 560 ISO, 260 mm

#4 ??


f/5.6, 1/1250, 360 ISO, 280 mm

#5 Hudsonian Godwit?


f/5.6, 1/1250, 250 ISO, 280 mm

#6 Northern Shoveler


f/7.1, 1/400, 100 ISO, 270 mm

#7 ??


f 5.6/, 1/1250, 320 ISO, 280 mm

#8 The Marsh


f/9, 1/500, 100 ISO, 200 mm

[joebranko]

I have very little experience with layers so I am looking forward to the comments from others. WRT the fin ished product I like #1 and #3 the best

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

[purplehaze]

Thanks, Joe. I am amazed at the colour to be found in these birds.

[skitterbug]

Another interesting series with #1 & #2 being my favorites. I can't help with identification of the "ducks".
I am definitely interested in your use of the Wacom tablet. I may have to start studying them and see if there is one for me! I'm glad you got the cables sorted out.
I really do like the tree swallow pic - #1. We have them here and I'd enjoy capturing a shot of this bird with so much detail as you have in yours! Well done!